The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, R.I., needs the Hydroid REMUS 100 for continued development and testing, supplementing NUWC's existing inventory of REMUS systems acquired previously to support a variety of program efforts, NUWC officials say.

The NUWC is The Navy's primary research and engineering center for underwater and submarine warfare.

REMUS is short for Remote Environmental Measuring Unit S. The REMUS 100 slightly longer than five feet, is 7.5 inches in diameter, and weighs 85 pounds. It can operate to depths of 328 feet on missions lasting eight to 10 hours.

Powering the REMUS 100 UUV is a direct-drive DC brushless motor and an open three-bladed propeller. It can swim as fast as 4.5 knots and navigates by Doppler-assisted dead reckoning, Inertial navigation system, and GPS.

Operators control the REMUS 100 UUV with laptop computer-based software for programming, training, post-mission analysis, documentation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The software enables one operator to control as many as four REMUS 100 UUVs at the same time.

The REMUS 100 is suited to marine research, defense, hydrographic and offshore energy applications. It is small enough to be carried by two people, and can perform intricate sonar and oceanographic surveys over large areas, Hydroid officials say.

NUWC is buying the REMUS 100 UUV sole source because Hydroid is the only known source that can meet Navy requirements of a UUV that is man-portable, has an energy density of at least 1.2 kilowatt hours, Navy officials say.

Researchers plan to use the REMUS 100 in exercises that require a UUV that can move as fast as four knots for as long as 10 hours. NUWC officials plan to release a formal request for quote (RFQ) to Hydroid around 1 May.